Category: Baseball

Well, I can’t say the off-season moved at a dizzying pace.  More like ambled.  But there was churn and I found myself wanting to do a 360 around the league and get a sense of who did what as the dust settles right before teams’ head to Florida or Arizona.  I worked to keep the article short and digestible, just under 1,500 words (a 7-minute read?), so a few details might have dropped off, but I think I got the essence.

Some writers like to grade out the teams on the traditional high school A-F scale. Personally, I never thought much of that scale even when I was in high school (graduated Parkway West out in fashionable West County, for those that are curious). In my class, everyone graduated. Somehow the distribution was abnormal, like in Lake Wobegon, where all the children were above average. I did however categorize the teams by how they went about the off-season. Their actions tell us how they evaluate themselves. You guys can do the grading. The categories describe teams that are:

• Extending the Competitive Window
• Standing Pat
• Attempting to Make the Next Step
• Retooling
• Indiscernible
• Starting Over

At the end, I’ll go a bit deeper into the NL Central. Just a bit, because we care a bit more about this cadre.

Teams Extending the Competitive Window

Dodgers, Blue Jays, Phillies, Tigers, Mariners

Common features of teams that are looking to remain in their competitive window:

• They were good last season
• They are in a good spot relative to the rest of their division
• They tend to have few but very specific needs

The Phillies re-signed Schwarber and Realmuto and added Adolis Garcia, seegmingly with the intent of moving Castellanos.  Does Keller replace Suarez?   The Blue Jays added Okomoto, Cease and Ponce. Gimenez was added last year, but the impetus behind the move becomes more obvious with the departure of Bichette.  The Dodgers add a closer (Diaz) and an outfielder (Tucker).  The Tigers added Valdez and Verlander late but have Skubal drama hanging over their heads (self-inflicted, no less).

The Mariners re-signed Naylor and added Knizner, but moved out of the Standing Pat division with a late acquisition of Donovan, to many Cardinals’ fans chagrin.

Teams Standing Pat

Guardians, Brewers, Astros, Yankees, Diamondbacks

Common features of teams that are competing with what they have on their roster:

• They were good (enough) last season
• They are in a good spot relative to the rest of their division
• Their approach to the off-season was mostly passive

All good teams, but far from perfect. These teams did little, sometimes to the great consternation of their fans.  The Astros added Iami.  They have the look of a team where their run is nearing the end.  The Brewers traded Peralta for two top prospects, plus Durbin and a host of other players for pitching. Churn is their game, like the Rays. The Diamondbacks were probably good enough last year, but health really derailed their best laid plan. They will run it back and hope for better medical reports.

Everything else represented depth moves, in my view.

Teams Seeking to take the Next Step

Red Sox, Pirates, Reds

Common features of teams that seek to take the next step:

• Young, and adding core veterans
• Currently a step behind the good teams
• Appear to have an opportunity within their division to rise

The Red Sox have made the most noise, acquiring Contreras, Gray, Oviedo and Suarez to add to a heralded core of young players.  That the Pirates are actually doing something is notable.  They have endeavored to add offense to their young pitching core with Magnum, Lowe, O’Hearn, Garcia (he of the alphabet challenged first name Jhostynxon).  Will they raise the Jolly Roger this year at PNC? I might consider a trip to Pittsburgh this year. Never been.

The Reds are unique in this case.  Are they good?  Well, they made the playoffs, albeit with 83 wins (not a typical measure of good).  They re-signed Pagan to close for them has been their most significant move.  Late in the off-season they added Suarez. Does this move the needle? What happens to Hayes?

Retooling Teams

Braves, Mets, Cubs, Padres, Orioles

Common features of teams I consider to be retooling tend to be:

• Need to make up for the loss of key players, such as Cubs losing Tucker.
• Intent to be competitive this next season
• These teams usually have marked disappointment in how the last season turned out

The Braves signed multiple pitchers to close (Iglesias, Suarez) and acquired multiple SS (Dubon, Kim).  David Stearns appears to be doing a top-down rebuild of the Mets roster (Bichette, Robert, Semien, Polanco, Williams, Peralta) to go along with Soto from last year. The Cubs re-signed (after a fashion) Imanaga and added Cabrera to a fringy staff.  Bregman effectively replaces Tucker.  The Orioles have added Trevor Rodgers (starter), Alonso and Ward to the line-up and Helsley and Kittredge to the back-end.  The Padres focused on pitching, having re-signed King, acquired Mckenzie and Hart to go with Miller (acquired at the deadline).  They took a shot at acquiring Arenado to play 1B.  Given the seemingly odd fit of that, what does that tell us?

Indiscernible

Rays, Angels, Marlins, A’s, Twins, Royals, Rangers, Giants

Common features: None

These teams aren’t easy to classify, so we look at their story individually.  The Rays are in a state of perpetual churn, so they are really in their own class. Their moves are usually value moves for players no one has ever heard of, as their focus is building the minor league pipeline. 

The Angels?  Who knows. The Marlins?  A team that looked on the rise late last year, but they are standing pat (except for shedding Cabrera) with a team that isn’t really good enough to stand pat with.  The Royals?  Drifting might be the right term for them?  Their outfield is worse than the Cardinals and they don’t appear able to address.  They have strong pitching and Witt, Jr. but that isn’t enough, even in the AL Central.  

The A’s appear still be in limbo a bit, caught between Oakland and Las Vegas for another year.  They have good young position players, but little else.  The Twins are embroiled in ownership drama, with a sale that fell through.  Their core talent isn’t bad, but they don’t have the resources to add. 

The Rangers might be in the same drifting category, or perhaps a term we’ve heard in St. Louis far too much – “caught in the middle”.  Does adding Nimmo and Jansen move the needle?  Gore was a nice get, though. Some in the Ranger’s constellation see their actions as trying to extend their competitive window, but I’m having trouble seeing the flukey 2023 World Series outcome as a “window”. They get to keep their trophy, though. That never hurts.

The Giants? I dunno. They weren’t good enough, but they also didn’t quite stand pat. They didn’t lose a lot, but they didn’t really retool, unless you view Arraez, House, Mahle as re-tooling. Perhaps. I suspect they are caught in the middle vortex that recently plagued the Cardinals.

Starting Over

Nationals, Cardinals, Rockies, White Sox

Common features of rebuilding teams:

• Not enough talent to be competitive
• Focusing on the long-term

The White Sox are deep into their rebuilding, having shown some incremental progress in 2025.  The Nationals are effectively starting over on a rebuild that really started in 2020.  They cleaned out the front office late last season.  The Rockies are in the same boat, with a recently hired new front office.  The Cardinals probably don’t quite fit the “starting over” moniker as there were some pieces to work with and the front office part of the rebuild really occurred over the last year plus and folks are pretty settled in now.  I used “starting over” because “rebuilding” seems such a loaded term.  But this year, that is clearly what they are doing.  It beats standing pat with a mediocre team (insert side eye toward Royals). 

A quick take on the NL Central

The Brewers came into the off-season a good team and will depart the off-season same, in spite of unloading Peralta a year before he departs as a free agent.  The Cubs?  They got older.  Did they get better?  I liked their acquisition of Cabrera, but swapping Tucker for Bregman?  Will Suzuki back in right make them better? ZIPs sees both teams in the low 90’s.

The Reds were remarkably passive.  They appear up-and-coming but did little to add.  I wonder if they are primed to step back.  The Pirates added offense (theoretically), which could make them scary with their pitching.  For fun, imagine a division that includes the 2^nd place Pirates.    

The Cardinals subtracted veteran talent and added prospects, primarily to the pitching staff.  2026 results will likely be highly variable. With 4 teams above them that could all finish at or above .500, someone will pay for that in losses. Can the Cardinals keep up? Baseball Prospectus is least optimistic, forecasting 96 losses. Expect a similar housecleaning next off-season (or earlier) on the position player side.     

In the 18th round of the 2017 MLB draft the New York Yankees drafted a pitcher out of the University of Alabama named Garret Whitlock. He would almost immediately make his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League Yankees. In 2018, Whitlock would appear in three levels for New York: A, A+, and AA. Overall he’d post a 1.86 ERA across the three levels while making 21 starts. 2019 would start well as he remained in AA: a 3.07 ERA across 14 starts for 70.1 innings. But things wouldn’t stay golden for Whitlock. He would succumb to Tommy John surgery by midseason. With the canceled minor league season in 2020, Whitlock would remain in a state of flux. He’d be recovering from injury but not really progressing as a baseball player.

When it came time to protect their prospects from the Rule 5 draft, the Yankees looked at Whitlock and saw 2019 success, a lost season, and an injury. They didn’t protect him and the Red Sox selected Whitlock on December 10, 2020. Whitlock would go on to strike out 81 in 73.1 innings in 2021 for Boston while posting a 1.96 ERA. He’d allow 2 runs in 8 playoff innings that year as the Sox made it to the ALCS. After a couple of years of attempted conversions back to the rotation and some health issues, Whitlock would put up a monster 2025. A 2.25 ERA, 91 strikeouts, 24 walks in 72 innings. The elite setup man has been worth 8.2 bWAR Red Sox.

Carlos Narváez was signed out of Venezuela in 2015. He would make his professional debut the next year and spend a few seasons as a teenager, working his way through the lowest levels of the minor leagues. He wouldn’t make it to AA until 2023 as a 24-year-old, but his stay would be brief, just 16 games. Promoted once more to AAA, Narváez would remain with Scranton Wilkes-Barre for 180 games. He’d hit .247/.371/.400 but be looked at as a defense-first catcher. Even though he got a cup of coffee for 6 games in 2024, Narváez was nothing but depth for the Yankees. On December 11, 2024 the Yankees would trade the catcher for minor leaguer Elmer Rodriguez.

In his age 26 season, with Connor Wong entering as the starter, Narváez wasn’t even guaranteed to make the roster. But with injury and ineffectivess he got his chance. And as a rookie took over the starting catching job of a playoff team. He’d put up a 2.6 bWAR season and swing the bat to boot! With a .241/.306/.419 slash line, Narváez finds himself in the driver’s seat entering 2026.

Elmer Rodriguez pitched in A+, AA, and AAA for New York with a 2.58 ERA across 150 innings. He struck out 175 and walked 57 as a 21 year old. Not a bad season at all, but in exchange for a starting catcher? A bargain.

Caleb Durbin’s story is slightly more complicated. He was drafted by Atlanta in 2021 and traded to New York for Lucas Luetge, a 38-year-old pitcher. He’d come out of the bullpen for the Braves just 12 times and put up an ERA north of 7. The Yankees would then send Durbin to the Brewers with Nester Cortes ahead of the 2025 season for Devon Williams. He’d only put up a 3rd place finish in the Rookie of the Year.

Playing mostly third base (131 games) with a scattering of second (10) and shortstop (3), Durbin hit .256/.334/.387. He hit 11 homers and stole 18 bases. He lead the league in HBP with 24. He was with 2.8 bWAR. That’s why the Red Sox had to pay a steep-ish price to get him. But his value to a team without a true third baseman, no matter how much he might platoon or share time, Durbin could be invaluable.

The Red Sox have done some good work with their prospects. They’ve really picked up some talented pitchers on the down low. But also Narváez. And Romy Gonzalez. Even Nate Eaton was an under-the-radar addition. This could be a big pickup for Boston, acquired for, essentially, spare parts. And while Durbin did have his breakout with the Brewers there might be more talent in there. He’s probably not going to be Garret Whitlock, but if he’s a third base pickup equal to Narváez? That would be a steal. A third steal. From the Yankees. It’s not the normal player acquisition strategy but it’s a nice benefit to see the Sox advance a little bit at their expense.

Scottsdale, Ariz. – Pitchers and catchers officially reported to Salt River Fields yesterday as the Rockies kicked off their 2026 campaign. At the very beginning of the day, newly signed Japanese right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano met with the media to discuss why he chose to sign with Colorado and how he expects to contribute.

Sugano, 36, was originally signed by the Rockies on Tuesday and has wasted no time joining the rotation (you can read Evan Lang’s write-up of the signing here).

“This organization valued my pitching, and I feel like there’s a lot more that I can offer,” Sugano said through interpreter Yuto Sakurai, “so that’s one of the reasons why (I chose to sign with the Rockies).”

Sugano spent 2025 with the Baltimore Orioles in his first MLB season. Prior to that, he played with the Yomiuri Giants of the NPB from 2013–2024. In his stateside debut, Sugano posted a 10-10 record and 4.64 ERA in 30 starts. However, he also allowed 33 home runs, which led the American League.

“I had some struggles last year with it being my first year in the Major Leagues, and there are things that I wanted to improve coming into the season and pitching into the season,” he said. 

“Something that you’ve pointed out is the amount of home runs that I gave up. I want to decrease that amount, but also at the same time, I don’t want to be afraid to throw strikes and making sure I have the mentality of attacking hitters. Those two will be my main objectives.”

Another reason Sugano was brought in was his veteran presence to a young ballclub, even though he stayed in Japan longer than many other players such as Roki Sasaki or Yoshinobu Yamamoto from the Dodgers, who both posted early. 

“The long experience in Japan, obviously, has been applied and is working well for me and in my favor,” he said. “But also, after I came here, there’s a lot to learn day in and day out, so I’m trying to improve myself on a daily basis.”

And as far as connecting with younger players?

“I think I connected really well (with Baltimore players), especially with the pitchers,” he said. “Obviously, the younger guys will come up to me and ask me questions. I hope to do the same over here, and I think this organization expects that from me as well. So if I can continue to do what I’ve been doing, I think that will work out.”

He’s already started connecting with his Rockies teammates, especially the pitchers since “we’re obviously going to be in the same role, so it’s just easy for me to connect with them.” However, he’s also connected with a surprising player: “Zac Veen is one of the guys, if I were to single out someone.” 

But the leadership and connection is one of the reasons that Sugano was brought to the Rockies.

“I expect the ultimate professional,” manager Warren Schaeffer said in his first presser of spring training. 

“I expect him to fill up the strike zone. I expect him to take the ball every fifth day, just like he has his entire career. I expect him to provide ideas of leadership. I had dinner with him the other night, and he is just a fantastic human being. I’m so excited to have him around. But on the field, I look for consistency in the strike zone.”

But Schaeffer also sees some areas for his staff to improve, including Sugano.

“Specifically against left-handers, he needs to get ahead more against left-handers,” he said. 

“That’s a big focus for the entire group, not just Sugano. That’s gonna be good for Sugano to work with Alon (Leichman) and Gabe Ribas and Matt Buschmann – these guys that have fresh ideas on how to do that. We all know that, but he’s going to attack the strike zone with all those pitches.”

“He was someone that I’d been looking at the entire offseason and thought he’d be a really good fit for us,” PBO Paul DePodesta said at Cactus League media day.

“One, he’s such an accomplished pitcher as a professional. I thought that would really help some of our younger pitchers. He also does exactly what we like, which is throw a lot of strikes with a very deep arsenal of pitches. He throws six different pitches, throws them all effectively, always keeps the hitters off balance. He’s also been extremely durable. He made 30 starts last year for Baltimore, so all of those things are things we were looking for. We thought it was going to be hard to find that in one person. We thought we could find someone who’s durable; someone who throws a lot of strikes; someone with a lot of different pitches; but in him, we found all of those things in one.”

Beyond the physical attributes, DePodesta also spoke to the veteran presence Sugano brings to a very young pitching staff, and a very young Rockies team as a whole.

“We also wanted those guys to have pitchers they could look up to, even in terms of their work ethic — how they go about every day, how they go about preparing, how they go about continuing to make adjustments even when they’ve been pitching at that level for 10-15 years,” he added. “And then from a front office perspective, we were interested for all of those reasons. I then shared our interest with the pitching coaches and said, ‘What do you think?’ and they were all extremely excited because of not only his strike-throwing ability, but because of his ability to manipulate the ball. They also think there are lots of different things they can do with him to have him be even more successful this year. So yeah, we’re very excited to have him.”

In addition to his new roster spot with the Colorado Rockies, Sugano is also suiting up for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic this spring for the second time in his career. He last pitched for them in the 2017 tournament.

“Yes, I’m very excited to pitch in that as well,” he said. “I’ve prepared really well for that tournament, so I’m just going to make sure I pitch really well.”

Overall, the Rockies have signed three veterans in the offseason to bring experience and leadership to a young pitching staff. Sugano also marks a shifting of the Rockies scouting, as he is the first Japanese player to sign with the team since 2007.

Spring training has only just begun, but the tides appear to be turning for the Boys on Blake.

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After challenging year, Veen arrives at camp healthier and refocused | MLB.com

Zac Veen had his first cup of coffee in 2025, and it did not go over very well for a number of reasons. The 24-year-old was very young last year, and it showed in a multitude of ways (such as his purple hair in spring training and his marijuana celebration). However, Veen has come into 2026 camp with a different attitude after getting some tough love from Chris Forbes and Johnny Goodrich, his former coach in Florida. Thomas Harding chronicles Veen’s changes as he hopes to snag a roster spot with the Rockies in 2026.

Rockies achieve offseason goal: ‘More options at more positions’ entering spring training | Kevin’s take | Denver Gazette ($)

Earlier this week, Renee discussed “optionality” with the Colorado Rockies players — a stark difference from teams of the past. Kevin Henry also explores the versatility desired by the new-look Rockies, and how that creates competition in spring training “that should add a little spice in Scottsdale.” Specifically, he cites newcomers Willi Castro, Edouard Julien, Troy Johnston and Jake McCarthy as evidence of the desired versatility, as well as how that might affect returning players such as Tyler Freeman.

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After a 2024 season where Gunnar Henderson was one of the best players in all of MLB, Orioles fans could be hopeful he’d be able to repeat at that elite level. It didn’t work out that way, with Henderson having a still pretty good but nowhere near MVP-level season. We know now, from Henderson’s own telling, that he battled through a shoulder impingement that was likely a factor in his diminished power.

Here’s what two big projection systems, ZiPS at FanGraphs and PECOTA at Baseball Prospectus, see as the 50th percentile outcome for Henderson this year:

• ZiPS: .272/.352/.491 with 29 home runs and 22 stolen bases
• PECOTA: .265/.347/.476 with 28 home runs and 20 stolen bases

Each of these represents a sizable improvement over what Henderson was able to do last year and would place Henderson back among the best players in baseball. The ZiPS projection, particularly, has Henderson tied for the sixth-best WAR projection of any position player in MLB. Pretty good!

The projections believe a young player like Henderson can bounce back to an elite level after what he’s shown in his career so far. What do you think is coming from Henderson this season?

Good morning baseball fans!

As we approach Spring Training and the beginning of the season, we’re going to be doing some questions for y’all about your thoughts about the San Francisco Giants and baseball in general!

Today’s question: Who’s to blame when things go wrong?

This isn’t necessarily a predictive question on the 2026 team, more of a philosophical question about who you think bears the blame for seasons that don’t pan out as well as we’d hoped they would. Some might assign that blame squarely on the players, others the coaching staff, and others might blame the front office or ownership.

Personally, I’ve never seen the point of blaming players. I don’t believe for a single second that any player has gone out on the field and thought “Eh, you know, I’m just going to suck on purpose today” despite what many fans of sports betting might believe to the contrary. Sure there are things like conditioning, practice, preparation, etc. that are within an individual player’s control, but that’s really about as far as it goes.

I’m of the belief that problems start from the top. If the owners are committed to having a competitive team, they will approve whatever it takes to make that happen. If the owners are more interested in profits and real estate development, the on-field product will reflect that. That trickles down to the decisions made by the front office to build a roster, and then to the coaching staff to do the best they can do with the roster they have.

Which means that there really isn’t much that anyone below the ownership level can do to change the organizational priorities, so in my book, the buck stops with the owners. No matter how many managers and front office staff they throw under the bus at the end of every season to deflect that.

But that’s just my opinion, and I’d like to hear yours!

Who do you think is to blame when seasons go wrong?

When remembering the numerous pitchers throughout the history of the New York Yankees, it’s easy to recall plenty who spent only a couple of seasons with the club. Some names were excellent throughout their careers before finishing with the Bombers; others found themselves with the Yankees earlier on and then moved on to do great things with other MLB teams. Of all of these names, there’s one who has always stuck out to me (and many others within the vast array of Yankees-faithful) from the mid-2010s: Nathan Eovaldi.

Despite not wearing the Yankees uniform for very long—and having better years following his time in New York—“Nasty Nate” remains synonymous with that odd in-between era of Yankees baseball, following one icon’s retirement and another’s ascent.

Nathan Edward Eovaldi
Born: February 13, 1990 (Houston, TX)
Yankees Tenure: 2015-16

A Houston area native, Eovaldi first caught the attention of big-league scouts as a hard-throwing righty from Alvin High School, which just so happened to also produce Nolan Ryan, arguably the most famous hard-throwing righty in MLB history. In fact, he and Ryan are the only two Alvin High graduates to make the majors.

The Dodgers picked up Eovaldi in the 11th round of the 2008 MLB Draft, forgoing a commitment to Texas A&M. Promoted fairly aggressively for his age, Eovaldi made his big-league debut against the Diamondbacks on August 6, 2011, at 21 years old. He pitched five innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. He came away with the win as well. As an added bonus, he singled off Joe Saunders in his first career at-bat and scored a run — and it all came with the legendary Vin Scully behind the mic.

Eovaldi made 10 appearances during that inaugural campaign, starting six of them, and then spent the first couple months of 2012 at Double-A Chattanooga before returning to the majors. His Dodgers career would only last 10 more starts though, as LA made a Trade Deadline splash by landing three-time All-Star Hanley Ramirez and lefty specialist Randy Choate. Eovaldi was off to the Marlins, as was fellow pitcher Scott McGough.

After getting his feet wet in Miami with a so-so second half, Eovaldi suffered shoulder inflammation that put him on the shelf to begin 2013. But at age 23, he took off upon returning to health, recording a 3.39 ERA and 3.59 FIP across 18 starts. Eovaldi had his most durable year yet in 2014, starting 33 games and tossing 199.2 innings. However, he also led the National League in hits allowed with 223.

It was in wake of the 2014 campaign that Eovaldi’s career would change course, and he would head north to the Bronx. Spotting Eovaldi’s potential and hoping to land another fine young starter to join Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda at the front of the rotation, the Yankees traded Martín Prado and David Phelps to Miami in exchange for Eovaldi, Garrett Jones, and prospect Domingo Germán. Eovaldi would pitch in the first game of his Yankees career against the Red Sox in what would turn out to be a chaotic 19-inning contest that Boston would take 6-5.

Through 27 starts in his first season as a Yankee, Eovaldi would finish with the highest winning percentage in all of MLB at .823. His 14-3 record, 4.20 ERA, and 121 strikeouts in 154.1 frames made for a very nice start to his Yankees career. Eovaldi’s finest day came on August 24th, when he dialed his heater up to 100 mph in blanking the future playoff rival Astros for eight (yes “just” eight, sorry to to reporter Nate) innings in a 1-0 victory.

Elbow inflammation had him on the shelf from September 6th onward, however, and the Yankees never recaptured the AL East lead from Toronto. Consigned to the Wild Card Game, they were shut out by Houston and quickly eliminated.

2015 could have been the launching pad to a strong career in pinstripes for Eovaldi, but the barking elbow turned out to be a portent. He was inconsistent and often frustrating for an unimpressive Yankees team in the first half of 2016, ending it with an unsightly 5.18 ERA and a demotion to the bullpen. Eovaldi briefly returned to the rotation beginning July 19th. He left his start at Fenway Park on August 10th with elbow discomfort and ultimately had to undergo Tommy John surgery.

Eovaldi’s season was over, and soon enough, his Yankees career was over as well. With the news that Eovaldi was expected to miss the entirety of the 2017 season due to the procedure, which would have put him into free agency at the end of the year, the Yankees elected to release him rather than working out a rehab-focused extension. So Eovaldi continued his career elsewhere.

In 2018, Eovaldi joined the Tampa Bay Rays and was then traded to the Red Sox following some more injury news, and pitched in just 10 games. With the Sox, he pitched well down the stretch and helped them win a World Series in five games against the Dodgers. That October was when he really began to turn the narrative of his career around, as he notched a 1.61 ERA in 22.1 innings. He got vengeance against the Yankees with seven sterling innings in his playoff debut, ALDS Game 3 in the Bronx. Boston eliminated New York the next day, and Eovaldi beat the Astros in ALCS Game 3 as well. The Game 3 that everyone remembered though was in an 18-inning Fall Classic marathon in LA, when despite a loss, Eovaldi earned moxie points with six gutsy innings of relief on just one day’s rest.

Eovaldi re-signed with the Red Sox and would spend another four full seasons with Boston, posting a 4.15 ERA and 111 ERA+ in 407.2 innings pitched. He tallied 420 strikeouts in those innings, and in 2021, he came in fourth in the American League Cy Young voting and 15th in AL MVP voting while earning his first All-Star nomination. Oh, and he got to tweak the Yankees’ nose once more in postseason play, outpitching Gerrit Cole in the 2021 AL Wild Card Game at Fenway Park.

After his time in Boston, Eovaldi became a free agent and joined the Texas Rangers in 2023, and has had the three best years of his career numbers-wise at ages 33-35. His ERA in those three seasons sits at 3.14 with an ERA+ of 125 and 427 strikeouts in 444.2 innings pitched. Eovaldi also stood out in October again while helping lead the Rangers to their World Series victory in 2023, winning at least one game in every series for them (beating the nemesis Astros twice) en route to the first title in franchise history.

Eovaldi’s 14-year career has been full of injuries and moving from place to place, but it’s hard to deny that he and his game have aged well. His fastball shape improved upon leaving the Bronx and his secondaries got a boost as well, including a cutter that wasn’t added until just before he went under the knife in 2016. Could he have fared better under a better Yankees pitching infrastructure? We’ll never know. A two-time champion and major part of those two World Sereis teams, Eovaldi may have only spent two seasons in New York of his soon-to-be-15-year career, but they put him on the path to bigger and better things.

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See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

SNY | Alex Smith: Cam Schlittler is dealing with inflammation in his mid-back, manager Aaron Boone told the press on Thursday. The issue is considered minor and, after taking a few days off the mound, the right-hander is expected to return to his throwing program. “Zero, I’d say,” Schlittler said with regard to his likelihood of starting the season on the IL. “It’s early and I’ve been dealing with it for a little bit, so just want to make sure I’m on top of it and ready for Opening Day and that week in San Fran.”

The starter also clarified that there is a minor lat issue he’s been dealing with. With Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, and Clarke Schmidt all expected to begin the season on the shelf, Schlittler figures to have a prominent role in the Yankees rotation to start the season.

SNY | Phillip Martinez: The Yankees signed right-hander Rafael Montero to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training. He’ll be on a $1.85 million salary if he makes the majors, per Joel Sherman. The reliever, 35, struggled in the first half with the Astros and Braves but had a more encouraging run with the Tigers down the stretch, pitching to a 2.86 ERA in 20 appearances. A 10-year veteran and 2022 World Series champion with Houston, Montero came up as a Mets starter in the mid-2010s before finding his niche in a bullpen role elsewhere.

New York Post | Dylan Svoboda: The Yankees considered pursuing a trade for now-former Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos earlier this offseason but were talked out of the move by several people who gave him mixed reviews, per Jon Heyman. It’s unclear from whom these reviews came and what their nature was, though the veteran endured some controversy this past season as he was benched Phillies manager (and former longtime Yankees coach) Rob Thomson for an “inappropriate comment” and bringing a beer into the Phillies dugout after he was removed from a mid-June for defense. New York reportedly also considered Austin Slater, Randal Grichuk, and Ty France to add right-handed depth before re-signing Paul Goldschmidt. Castellanos was released by Philadelphia on Thursday and could be in play for multiple teams, per Heyman.

NJ.com | Randy Miller: The Yankees are planning to give Giancarlo Stanton regular rest as he embarks on his age-36 season, per Aaron Boone. “Obviously, the big thing with G is keep him healthy,” the Yankees manager said. “In a perfect world, we don’t have any interruption with an injury or anything, but I want to protect him. Get into that role where you’re playing three out of four, four out of five I think is a good thing for him.”

The DH was exceptionally productive last season when healthy but has of course struggled to stay on the field during his tenure in New York, landing on the IL nine times in eight seasons. Boone also did not rule out the veteran playing the outfield this year—as he did in a pinch late last year to keep his bat in the lineup with Aaron Judge briefly restricted to DH duty—noting that “the biggest thing is keeping it available so that when things do come up we’re in a position to pop him out there if we have to.”

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Max Fried has been using his implosion in Game 2 of the ALDS as fuel for what will be his sophomore season in pinstripes. “Every time that I get to the gym or I pick up a ball, anything I have to do with baseball, it’s definitely a motivating factor,” the starter said. “You want to always keep getting better, learn from your mistakes and make sure that you’re not making the same mistakes again. I’m just trying to remember that feeling.”

Fried was an All-Star in his Yankees debut and pitched 6.1 scoreless innings against the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series, but was chased after allowing seven runs in three innings against Toronto the following series.

Okay, let’s talk defense.

This week, Mike Petriello is doing some Statcast projecting, and here’s an interesting tidbit: The Colorado Rockies are expected to be in the top five of improved defenses.

He writes:

“The Rockies are in the midst of changing everything, and that’ll take time. The projections adore both center fielder Brenton Doyle and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, despite relative down seasons for each, and Hunter Goodman provided roughly average catcher defense, which is harder than it sounds. The expected improvement comes from the departure of first baseman Michael Toglia, who rated as among baseball’s weakest defenders, and the expectation that new outfielder and elite speedster Jake McCarthy might help shift Mickey Moniak into more of a DH role. Keep an eye out for third baseman Kyle Karros, who rated well in limited time last year and should get a larger opportunity this season.

So, the Rockies improved by subtraction.

I’ll turn the floor over to the Purple Row night owls: Will the Rockies see improved defensive numbers in 2026, and where will those improvements come from?

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Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Elroy Face, an All-Star pitcher with the Pittsburgh Pirates and World Series champion, has died at the age of 97, the Pirates announced on Feb. 12.

"It is with heavy hearts and deep sadness that we mourn the passing of Pirates Hall of Famer Elroy Face, a beloved member of the Pirates family," Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement. “I was fortunate to get to know Elroy personally, and I will always be proud that we had the chance to honor him with his induction into the Pirates Hall of Fame."

Nicknamed "The Baron of the Bullpen," Face was a groundbreaking pitcher, performing in a role that evolved into the modern-day closer. Face holds the National League record for wins in relief (96). Face also holds Pirates franchise records for appearances (802) and saves (188). His NL record for saves was not broken until 1982, when Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter surpassed Face's total.

Face made All-Star Game appearances in three consecutive seasons from 1959-1961. The peak of his career coincided with the Pirates winning the 1960 World Series, a Fall Classic made famous by Bill Mazeroski's walk-off Series-winning home run in Game 7. Face recorded three saves in that World Series win over the New York Yankees.

It was Face's 1959 season that was his finest. He went 18-1 with a 2.70 ERA over 57 appearances, finishing seventh in NL MVP voting. During his career, he was a three-time league leader in saves and twice led the league in games pitched.

Face spent 15 seasons with the Pirates before pitching briefly with the Detroit Tigers and Montreal Expos to close out his storied career.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Elroy Face, Pirates' pioneering relief pitcher, dies at 97

The Red Sox won the 2018 World Series, but not without some clubhouse crossfire.

Postseason hero and longtime Boston infielder Brock Holt revealed an incident from that season in which a teammate allegedly said he would bring a gun to the field and “kill” the entire team.

Holt was a guest on the “Section 10 Podcast” on Thursday when they discussed Rafael Devers’ unceremonious exit from Boston, leading to a broader discourse on the importance of clubhouse chemistry.

This ultimately led to Holt addressing the 2018 team.

“We had a guy or two in ’18 like that, and we got rid of them,” Holt began.

“We were in Tampa, and we were in a circle stretching before [batting practice], and having a good ol’ time. And this someone looks around at all of us and says, ‘You know what? I’m going to bring a gun to the field tomorrow and kill all of you.’ And then he looks straight at me and says, ‘And you’re gonna be first.’”

Brock Holt tells us an INSANE story about a member of the 2018 Red Sox…who was then quickly released pic.twitter.com/in9Qx5Mhrx

— Section 10 Podcast (@Section10Pod) February 12, 2026

Holt, who spent seven seasons in Boston, said the unnamed Red Sox player was “probably joking,” but the nature of his comments left people around the organization concerned.

“Our strength coach at the time was like, ‘Dude, I got to tell [then-team president Dave Dombrowski].’ And I was like, ‘Please do because I’m the first one that’s going to go.’

“We don’t have a lot of time, let’s get him out of here.”

Andy Barkett, who was the Red Sox’s assistant hitting coach during the 2018 season, appeared to corroborate Holt’s allegations on social media.

“True Story…” he posted on X while replying to a clip of the podcast.

The purported incident did not impact the Red Sox on the field.

Boston won 108 regular-season games before steamrolling through the Yankees, Astros and Dodgers en route to the franchise’s ninth world championship.

Holt enjoyed a strong season, .277/.362/.411 with seven home runs and 46 RBIs in 109 games.

The 2015 All-Star also became the first player in MLB history to hit for the cycle in the playoffs, reaching the feat in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Yankees.

After spending 10 MLB seasons with the Pirates, Red Sox, Brewers, Nationals and Rangers, Holt retired from baseball in 2022.

Elroy Face, one of the late-inning reliever pioneers in baseball, died Thursday, the Pirates announced. He was 97.

Face, nicknamed “The Baron of the Bullpen,” emerged as a forerunner for what would later be considered a closer during his 16-year career, which was primarily with the Pirates.

“It is with heavy hearts and deep sadness that we mourn the passing of Pirates Hall of Famer Elroy Face, a beloved member of the Pirates family,” Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said, according to MLB.com. “I was fortunate to get to know Elroy personally, and I will always be proud that we had the chance to honor him with his induction into the Pirates Hall of Fame.

“Elroy was a pioneer of the modern relief pitcher — the ‘Baron of the Bullpen’ — and he played a critical role in our 1960 World Series championship, leading the league in appearances and recording three saves against the Yankees.

“Our thoughts are with his three children — Michelle, Valerie and Elroy Jr. — and his sister Jacqueline.”

After some struggles as a starter at the beginning of his career, Face was moved to the bullpen full-time during the 1956 season, seeing immediate success.

Face, a native of Stephentown, spent 15 seasons in Pittsburgh, racking up 188 saves, the most in franchise history.

The righty held a 3.46 ERA during his Pirates tenure and was named an All-Star during three straight seasons (1959-61).

Face was also a key member of Pittsburgh’s 1960 World Series Championship squad that bested the Yankees in seven games, notching saves in Games 1, 4 and 5.

His most remarkable year came in 1959, when the reliever had an 18-1 record with a 2.70 ERA in 57 appearances, finishing seventh in National League MVP voting.

Face was inducted into the Pirates Hall of Fame in 2023 alongside Bob Friend, Kent Tekulve and Dick Groat.

Upon that class being announced, Tekulve credited Face for his impact on the future of relief pitchers.

“At one time, relief pitchers were guys who weren’t good enough to start,” Tekulve said at the time.

“But Elroy Face helped relief pitchers become important members of their team — not just an extra piece.”

Somewhat lost in the news circus today was that Phil Castellini, son of majority Cincinnati Reds owner Bob Castellini, was officially approved to succeed his father as controlling owner of the club. Charlie Goldsmith, formerly of The Enquirer (and now of his Charlie’s Chalkboard newsletter) relayed the news on Twitter earlier Thursday, noting that the AP had quotes about it from a Rob Manfred interview.

The AP reported today from a Rob Manfred press conference that Phil was approved to succeed Bob as the controlling owner. pic.twitter.com/dLwEPCKrcK

— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) February 13, 2026

This comes at the same time as the 20 year mark of the Castellini family being principal owners of the Reds, and it’s hard to put a defining word, phrase, or even moment on the field alongside that era.

Frustratingly cheap? Consistantly chasing mediocrity?

Simply just glad to be here?

A 20 year old copy of the email sent to Cincinnati Reds fans upon Bob Castellini taking ownership of the team.

It remains to be seen whether the club will fundamentally change with Phil under control. You’ll notice the Williams name in the above copied image, and that’s the same Williams family where former GM Dick Williams came from, too. So, while the first names gradually change when it comes to who’s in charge of this endeavor, always remember that it’s been a consistent family affair during one of the most mediocre stints in the franchise’s otherwise successful history.

Congrats on owning the team now, Phil.

Sell the team, Phil.

The 2025 season could have been a big year for Jasson Domínguez. The long-heralded next big thing in the Yankees outfield was well-positioned to earn a starting role following Juan Soto’s crosstown departure, and had finally recovered from the litany of injuries which plagued his previous two seasons. But while the 22-year old had his moments here and there, he was clearly the team’s fourth-best outfielder; merely adequate at the plate and unreliable in the field.

This offseason, in a concerted effort to run it back, the Yankees have welcomed Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger back to the Bronx, meaning Domínguez is once again looking at a reserve role in 2026. But the dream of a dominant Martian is not yet dead. If he can find his power stroke more consistently, flatten out his stark platoon splits, and take a step forward on defense, Domínguez could finally escape the clouds and reach his galactic potential.

2025 statistics: 123 games, 429 plate appearances, .257/.331/.388 (103 wRC+), 10 HR, 47 RBI, 26.8 K%, 9.6 BB%, -9 Outs Above Average, 0.6 fWAR

2026 FanGraphs DC projections: 26 games, 118 PA, .250/.325/.404 (105 wRC+), 3 HR, 13 RBI, 25 K%, 9.6 BB%, 0.4 fWAR

I’ve wanted to discuss Jasson for a while, since he represents one of the bigger wild cards on a team loaded with veterans and known commodities. He is a flawed player, no doubt. For one thing, the prodigious power he has always possessed was in short supply last year—just 10 homers for a guy like him came as a big surprise to me. The main culprit seems to be an inability to generate lift against fastballs. A hitter like Domínguez, possessed with freakish bat speed, should be able to drive heaters a long way, but a mere .399 slugging percentage (and .364 xSLG) against the harder stuff limited his thump.

The switch-hitter was also woeful from the right side, managing a pithy .569 OPS against left-handed pitchers. This made him effectively a platoon bat for most of the year, as the Yankees had too little margin for error in the postseason race to let Domínguez figure it out down the stretch. Since his lefty production was not spectacular either—Bellinger and Grisham simply outhit Jasson from that side of the plate—his opportunities became fewer and fewer as the season progressed.

Then came the outfield lowlights. Domínguez just couldn’t seem to figure out the right angles in left field, where he played the majority of the time. His -9 Outs Above Average ranked in the third percentile among qualified outfielders. Jasson is not lacking for speed, but he takes a shockingly long time to track the baseball and make up lost ground. Of course, Yankee Stadium is not the friendliest ballpark to a left fielder, but an OAA figure that low does not suggest his troubles are limited to his home turf.

Those are three big black clouds surrounding the longtime top prospect, but of course, time and youth are still on Domínguez’s side. Having just turned 23 a few days back, it’s far too early to write him off as a Joc Pederson-lite; though I may have grumbled something to that effect a time or two in the middle of last year. And ultimately, Domínguez was still statistically above-average at the plate with all those factors weighing against him. Posting a 103 wRC+ while not playing every day is hard to do; just recall how Trent Grisham scuffled without regular playing time in 2024.

The first issue we discussed—subpar power production—feels like by far the easiest fix. It may just take one tweak to attack angle or a stance alteration to get Domínguez firing on all cylinders in the power department once again. I also think it’s not out of the question that he improves a bunch on defense—maybe not to the point of being above-average, but competence should be the goal. If he does, he’ll get more opportunities to try his hand in the other two outfield spots, which would only increase the amount of options Aaron Boone has at his disposal.

The platoon splits are going to be a tougher challenge; since the Yankees will be jockeying for position with the Blue Jays, Red Sox, and the potentially resurgent Orioles for divisional superiority, there will, like last year, be little wiggle room for Domínguez to get the live reps he might need to start to improve as a right-handed hitter. The solace is that he would be taking the majority of his PAs from the left side anyway, but it limits his ability to settle into a full starting role in the future—and was likely a driving factor behind the Yankees’ decision to bring back Bellinger and Grisham this winter.

The ultimate X-factor for Domínguez is injuries: both for himself and for his stablemates in the outfield. Jasson is the next man up if any of their starting triumvirate—who all played at least 140 games last year—hits the shelf for an extended period. The inevitable Giancarlo Stanton injury absence would create an opportunity at DH as well. The Yankees have often started seasons with little depth beyond their starters, leaving them exposed if anybody got hurt. As Michael detailed earlier today, they’ve consciously adopted a different strategy in 2026, and Jasson is a big part of that depth. Of course, if he himself gets injured, it would just be another treacherous bend in what just a few years ago seemed to be an open road to stardom.

FanGraphs’ Depth Charts projections has a very pessimistic outlook on Domínguez’s overall playing time share in 2026—supposedly because of the possibility he starts the season in Triple-A. I’ll believe that when I see it. The ZiPS projections agree, penciling Domínguez in for a more believable 471 plate appearances; while the .246/.323/.399 triple slash it prescribes would be disappointing, it’s important to remember these systems are conservative by nature. There’s not yet a precedent for Domínguez slugging higher than .400 in a full MLB season, but we humans understand that a SLG of at least .450 can be a reasonable goal for him.

With the majority of the players on this Yankees team, you know more or less what you’re going to get. But the concrete has not yet settled on this young man. As far as 2026, the Yankees just need him to be a reliable extra option in their outfield; anything extra is gravy. But if the opportunity presents itself, Domínguez has the talent to enter the stratosphere. It’s true that he has been part of the future for going on six years now, but that possibility should still excite us.

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See more of the Yankees Previews series here.

It’s not impossible that San Diego Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller will use the quality and quantity of his bullpen to acquire needed roster pieces before the season begins but he has stated his reluctance to weaken the team’s biggest strength.

The inflated player prices this offseason have made it more difficult for Preller to round out the Padres roster. The budget constraints of the organization seemingly imply that the biggest expense was re-signing starter Michael King. With what is left, the bargain bin is the most likely place to find the rotation help and another bat that Preller has repeatedly said he is looking to sign before the season.

The real question is if there is enough cash left in the budget to sign these additions without losing anyone from the current roster. So far, Preller has stayed true to his statement at the GM meetings where he voiced a desire to not lose any of his bullpen in the trade market.

The Padres 2025 bullpen finished the season with the best ERA in baseball at 3.06. The loss of closer Robert Suarez should not seriously affect this group as Mason Miller, ranked the No. 2 reliever in baseball by MLB Network, assumes that role. Jason Adam, with his 1.93 ERA last year, served as the setup man for much of the season and should again be considered the leader for that role when he returns from his season-ending ruptured quad tendon.

Behind those two dominant pitchers, the Padres have an embarrassment of riches in their bullpen. Assuming they go into the 2026 season with five starters and eight relievers, there are only six spots available to fill out the rest of the bullpen.

Options for six spots

From the current roster, both the 40-man and the non-roster invitees who are in camp, the Padres have at least 18 pitchers to fill those six roles. From that group, only Ron Marinaccio is out of options and will have to be placed on waivers if he doesn’t make the 26-man roster.

The Padres signed RHP’s Sean Boyle, Evan Fitterer and Justin Yeager to minor league contracts with invites to Spring Training. Yeager is a confirmed reliever but both Boyle and Fitterer could be used as starters and have starter histories. Of the system’s minor league relievers invited to camp, RHP Manuel Castro, RHP Francis Pena, RHP Ethan Routzhan and RHP Ryan Och all showed the stuff that got the attention of the organization and earned them an invite to major league camp. Both Castro and Pena could be close to being added to the roster during the coming season. All of these are probable to start the season in the minor leagues.

RHP Logan Gillaspie, who was a minor league pickup in 2023, has had an inconsistent career with four different organizations and was re-signed to a minor league contract with the Padres in 2024. Between injuries and poor performances, Gillaspie has stayed with the organization and gets another chance this season to take a step forward. He got a spring invite after being retained following the end of 2025.

Who makes the 26-man roster?

On the 40-man roster there are 13 relievers to compete for those six slots in the bullpen. RHP Jhonny Brito will not be ready to start the season due to his Tommy John surgery last season. He is likely to be available by mid-season. Whether he is brought back as a starter or reliever has not been discussed to this point.

The Padres signed right-handers Ty Adcock and Daison Acosta to major league contracts during the offseason. Acosta was with the Nationals organization last season but has not made his major league debut. Adcock, who pitched in three games and three innings for the Mets last season, signed with the Padres and pitched for Estrellas Orientales (Dominican Winter League) during the offseason.

RHP Garret Hawkins was added to the roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft during the offseason and is most likely starting the season with San Antonio or El Paso and would be a depth piece for the bullpen during 2026.

That leaves long-man/swing-man Bryan Hoeing to come back after an injury-riddled 2025 to reclaim his spot. His competition could be Adcock or Marinaccio who was a limited contributor last season but had a 0.84 ERA in his 10.2 innings pitched. Lefty Kyle Hart will begin by competing for a starting job. If that role does not go to him, he would also be a competitor for the long-man role with Hoeing, Adcock and Marinaccio.

The five remaining spots will be a battle between Jeremiah Estrada, Alek Jacob, Yuki Matsui, Adrian Morejon, Wandy Peralta, David Morgan and Bradgley Rodriguez. Adcock, Hoeing, Hart or Marinaccio could also be in competition as only one of them can win the swing-man or long-man job.

Estrada, Morejon, Morgan and Peralta have all pitched in high-leverage situations while Matsui, Jacob and Rodriguez can cover the middle innings. Rodriguez also has the potential for a late-inning role with his stuff. MLB Network recently listed their top 10 relievers in baseball. The Padres had Miller, Morejon and Adam all make that list. It would seem a lock for Morejon to keep his spot as a high-leverage reliever along with Adam and Miller.

Spring Training will tell the tale

Many say that six weeks is too long for Spring Training. That could be true for hitters, most of whom say that three to four weeks is plenty to get ready for a season. The six weeks is for the pitching staff to be ready. With the big decisions that this organization has to make with its pitching staff, both starters and relievers, the next six weeks will be fascinating to watch. Add to that the time that the World Baseball Classic cuts into the preparation, and those decisions will be even more interesting.

Look for all the borderline pitchers to get lots of looks during spring games. Matsui, Peralta and Miller will be gone for the duration of their WBC teams’ participation in the tournament. Miller for Team USA, Matsui for Samurai Japan and Peralta for the Dominican Republic.

Figuring out who makes this bullpen will be a great challenge for the staff. The fans can play along and see how close we get.

This post is part of a series of daily questions that we’ll ask the community here at Amazin’ Avenue throughout the month of February. We hope you find the questions engaging and that our prompts can spark some fun conversations in the comments. We’ll see you there and plan to have staff chiming in, too.

What’s your National League East standings prediction?